This comes weeks after the Nottingham Panthers player went up against the Sheffield Steelers on October 28. During the game, an incident occurred where Matt Petgrave slashed Johnson’s neck.
Authorities have not released the name of the man. But many believe the suspect is Steelers player Matt Petgrave.
At first the Panthers called Johnson’s death a “freak accident” that then lead to an investigation.
The English Ice Association responded to the players death by deeming neck guards mandatory by all players in England starting in 2024.
The scale of Johnson’s death now has also reached the United States and the local Los Angeles area.
In a statement from the LA Valley Ice Center, they report having sold numerous neck guards.
Bob Stirtzel, a pro shop employee, says that the tragedy is something the Ice Center is becoming more and more aware of each day. He hopes that the National and United States Hockey leagues make neck guards mandatory in the future.
The NHL’s VP of hockey operations, Rod Pasma said that they are in the process of creating neck shields, should the players choose to wear them.
As of this morning the suspect who was arrested on the manslaughter was released on bail.
The South Yorkshire Police said today that their “investigation continues” and they will provide updates when available.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Piper Vaughn